Region: New York

To get some idea of how well established many of the wineries in New York state are, one only has to look to certain locations around the Hudson River area of the region, where there are several wineries which have vineyards dating back over three hundred years. This relatively long tradition of wine-making for a New World country has resulted in some truly exceptional wines, making the most of the imported grape varietals which thrive in the cooler, damper climatic conditions which characterize the state. New York today produces a wide range of wine styles, but is mostly known for its white wines made from such esteemed varietals as Riesling and Pinot Noir, and a few superb sparkling wines which demonstrate the strengths of the Chardonnay grapes grown there.

Country: United States

The first European settlers to consider growing grapevines in the United States must have been delighted when they discovered the now famous wine regions within California, Oregon and elsewhere. Not even in the Old World are there such fertile valleys, made ideal for vine cultivation by the blazing sunshine, long, hot summers and oceanic breezes. As such, it comes as little surprise that today more than eighty-nine percent of United States wines are grown in the valleys and on the mountainsides of California, where arguably some of the finest produce in the world is found. However, American wine does not begin and end with California, and due to the vast size of the country and the incredible range of terrains and climates found within the United States, there is probably no other country on earth which produces such a massive diversity of wines. From ice wines in the northern states, to sparkling wines, aromatized wines, fortified wines, reds, whites, rosÃs and more, the United States has endless surprises in store for lovers of New World wines.